Bone Grafting in The Woodlands, TX

Bone loss in the jawbone is common when one or more teeth have been lost due to disease, injury, decay, or trauma. Without the tooth in place to stimulate the jawbone, the bone around the missing tooth will begin to deteriorate. Over time, the jawbone may shrink down to such an extent that there may not be enough bone to place dental implants. In cases such as these, Dr. Bradshaw may recommend having a bone grafting procedure.

Bone grafting is the replacement or augmentation of missing bone of the jaw or around the teeth.

There are three types of bone graft procedures: autogenous, allograft, and xenograft.

Autogenous grafts take bone from one area of the patient’s body and transplant it to the location in the mouth being restored. The bone is usually taken from non-essential bones such as the chin area. The benefit of an autogenous bone graft is that the bone used comes solely from the patient thus reducing the likelihood of rejection and infection. The bone is also still “live”, meaning it still has active cellular material.

Allografts also use human bone transplanted to the area in the mouth being restored. However, allografts do not use the patient’s own bone. Instead, the bone usually comes from cadavers who have donated their bone to bone-banks. All allograft bone material is carefully screened and is considered very safe.

Xenografts also replace bone in the area requiring treatment, however the bone comes from a non-human source. Usually the non-human source is bovine (cow). Allografts and Xenografts are used because they do not require a second surgical site to harvest bone and ample amounts of bone can be easily attained.

The Procedure

Local anesthesia is used to numb the area where the bone will be removed as well as the location where the bone will be augmented. An incision is made in the gums around where the bone will be augmented. Dr. Bradshaw can see exactly how much bone will be need before harvesting it from the patient (if an autogenous graft is being performed).

Dr. Gayle Bradshaw, located in The Woodlands, TX, is a Periodontist who services patients from Conroe, Magnolia, Tomball, Spring and Huntsville.. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our office and encourage you to schedule your appointment today!

If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, you may be suffering from gum disease. When caught early we can treat your gum disease and help save your teeth!

Click below to take the American Academy of Periodontology's Gum Disease Risk Assessment test to see if you may have or be at risk for gum disease.

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